The Prius v will start at $27,140 when it launches in the
U.S. this fall. The Prius v uses the same hybrid powertrain as the standard
Prius, but has a larger cargo area behind the rear seats (34.3 cu ft versus
21.6 cu ft). The Prius v weighs 200 pounds more than the standard Prius, so
fuel economy suffers. Combined fuel economy for the Prius v is 40mpg instead of
the loftier 50mpg for the regular Prius.

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be priced from $32,760. The
new lithium-ion battery pack in the plug-in variant allows the vehicle to
travel up to 15 miles on battery power alone (at speeds up to 62mph). After the
15 miles is exhausted, Prius Plug-in Hybrid will operate exactly like any other
Prius hybrid.

Toyota says that the Prius Plug-in Hybrid can be charged in
1.5 hours using a 240V outlet or 2 to 3 hours using a 120V outlet.

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid also qualifies for a $2,500 federal
tax credit.

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This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled

I usually go to Edmunds to make quick pricing comparisons across various makes/models, so if their information wrong, I'll concede to this point.

2) I DID that that 37 mpg was one the gasoline engine took over -- it is the combined fuel economy number on gasoline-only per the EPA. I probably shouldn't have said that it's comparable to regular compact cars as its combined is about 3 mpg better than the best compact.

But if we're going to play the numbers game, the Volt is 26% worse than the Prius' combined rating on gasoline-only, not 20%. The Prius is actually 50mpg EPA combined.

3) As to your other points, I would actually have to agree and go back on the statement about the Prius Plug-in being a slam dunk -- it should be the regular Prius that is the slam dunk.

Given the regular Prius' price point and it's fuel efficiency, its a tough act to beat.

The EPA puts the "fuel cost" of going 15,000 miles in a Volt on battery power alone at $648. They put the cost of going 15,000 on gasoline only at $1,580

The cost of a regular Prius going 15,000 miles is listed at $1,098. If you NEVER EVER EVER tap into the gasoline engine on the Volt, then $648 is extremely low. But odds are, you're going to be hitting that gasoline engine a bit and that number is going to inch closer and closer to the Prius' $1,098 fuel cost for 15,000 miles.

Take into account the price differential, and I can't really make a case for the Volt at all.